Effect of intermittent fasting on circadian rhythms in mice depends on feeding time

Calorie restriction (CR) resets circadian rhythms and extends life span. Intermittent fasting (IF) also extends life span, but its affect on circadian rhythms has not been studied. To study the effect of IF alongside CR, we imposed IF in FVB/N mice or IF combined with CR using the transgenic FVB/N alphaMUPA mice that, when fed ad libitum, exhibit spontaneously reduced eating and extended life span. Our results show that when food was introduced during the light period, body temperature peak was not disrupted. In contrast, IF caused almost arrhythmicity in clock gene expression in the liver and advanced mPer2 and mClock expression. However, IF restored the amplitudes of clock gene expression under disruptive light condition regardless whether the animals were calorically restricted or not. Unlike daytime feeding, nighttime feeding yielded rhythms similar to those generated during ad libitum feeding. Taken together, our results show that IF can affect circadian rhythms differently depending on the timing of food availability, and suggest that this regimen induces a metabolic state that affects the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) clock.